Saebo Program

SIRH is the first facility in the Louisville and southern Indiana area to incorporate the Saebo Program into both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Saebo is an innovative rehabilitation products company producing devices for improving arm and hand function following a stroke, brain injury and incomplete spinal cord injury. SIRH has multiple Occupational Therapists who are Saebo-trained within its inpatient and outpatient treatment teams.

SaeboStretch
SaeboStretch is an orthotic splinting device which the clinician fits to the person to allow for greater stretch of the soft tissues of the hand and wrist for maximal functional outcomes including increased comfort levels. The hand plate within the splint allows for a slight give for those clients with minimally increased muscle tone to assist in prevention of deformities of the fingers. SIRH is the only area facility which offers a trial program for inpatient therapy for those meeting criteria, and can be provided within outpatient therapy as well.

SaeboFlex and SaeboReach
SIRH was awarded a grant in 2010 from Horseshoe Foundation which allowed SIRH to purchase the first Saebo inpatient kit in the region. This kit allows our Saebo-trained Occupational Therapists to fabricate the SaeboFlex device to be utilized on a trial basis. During inpatient or outpatient therapy, the patient uses this device to develop greater arm/hand function while grasping and releasing balls. Many times following a neurological insult, such as a stroke, theperson has a weakened grasp or difficulty fully opening the hand. The springs on this device assist with the opening of the hand for pre-grasp and release of the ball. The main criteria for use, is ability to passively open the fingers with slight wrist extension, then ability to actively bend the fingers for ¼ range in making a fist. If ability to fully extend the elbow during reach is limited, SIRH’s outpatient team has the ability to trial an added elbow extension-assist component referred to as the SaeboReach.

Research for these devices is based on providing a functional activity with mass repetitions to assist in re-organizing the brain for better hand/arm movement. Many people have noticed an improvement after the first attempt of using the device. It can also assist in reducing the tightness that some may experience after a neurologic insult or injury.